OP-ED: UN'S Holocaust Remembrance Day-Insincere

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 26, 2010) -

By Avi Benlolo

President & CEO

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies

In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted an historical resolution that designated January 27th as the annual International Day of Commemoration "in memory of the victims of the Holocaust." The resolution further "condemns without any reservation any denial of the Holocaust" and "urges all Member States to unreservedly reject any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or in part, or any activities to this end."

While the resolution itself is encouraging and important, especially to the victims of the Holocaust, it is shameful for the UN to have waited for the 60th session of the General Assembly to officially commemorate the most heinous atrocity known to humanity. For this reason, Holocaust based organizations like the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center doubt the sincerity of the United Nations designation.

The sincerity of the UN designation to commemorate the Holocaust and to discourage its denial is hypocritical when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is permitted to ascend the podium at the UN to promote antisemitism. Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a "myth", has hosted Holocaust denial conferences and cartoon contests and has threatened Israel, another UN member state, with annihilation.

It might be impossible to uphold the UN resolution to reject Holocaust denial in some parts of the Muslim world and beyond, but to permit it on UN property in the United States of America is contemptible and proves the insincerity of this resolution.

Furthermore, the UN General Assembly cannot operate in a vacuum. When it comes to Israel and the inalienable rights of the Jewish people, the UN member states behave like abusive parents who periodically hug their children in between repeated and brutal beating incidents.

Israel continues to be victimized and raped by the United Nations. Of approximately 175 Security Council resolutions, 97 have been against Israel. One group found the cumulative number of votes cast with/for Israel is approximately 7,938. Conversely, the cumulative number of votes cast against Israel is 55,642.

The six countries subjected to UN human rights criticism in 2008 - in order of greatest to least - were Israel, Sudan, Congo, Mynamar/Burma and the United States. And, despite being among the first member states to join the UN, Israel continues to be excluded from regional groups and inclusion on various committees.

Let us not forget UN member bodies, commissions and organizations that have fomented antisemitism and hatred against the Jews. These include the International Criminal Court, the UN Human Rights Council, the infamous Gladstone Report and of course, the UN World Conference Against Racism - aka the Durbin Conference.

On the surface, the United Nations' International Day of Commemoration might be appealing to some. And in truth, it is helpful in disseminating information about the Holocaust and educating the millions of people around the world whom we cannot otherwise reach. But in reality, the UN has been instrumental in fomenting Holocaust denial, antisemitism and hatred toward the State of Israel and its people. Its institutionalized commemoration day is, undeniably, insincere.

Contact Information

For further comment or interviews contact:Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust StudiesAvi BenloloPresident and CEOCell: 416.648.9343abenlolo@fswc.ca